To jtjstrite manufactttb



0.1. SCHMIDT. SPARK PRODUCING MECHANISM. APPLICATION FILED J UNE 20.1921.

1,407,225, Patentedlieb, 21, 1922.

yl/lll ll/ ///7/////////////////// enAnLEs J. SCHMIDT, QF'CHICAGQJILINOIS, assreivoit'ro wsaBIrEMANUMcrUn-YV me coMrAnY; or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A'CGRPORATION or tumors. :1

' .srAnK-rRonucmemnonamsivr.

To aZZ whom it may concern: j

Be it known that 1, CHARLES. VJ SCHMIDT, a citizen ofthe United States, and a resident. of Chicago, in the county of Cook, State ofI-llinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Spark-Produc-v ingiMechanism, of which the following is-a V specification.

as-the thumb or finger is rubbed across the My invention relates to spark producing mechanism of the type in which a serrated disk or wheel has frictional engagement with a piece of pyrophoric material. The device can be used alone for generalylig'ht ing purpose as for example, the lighting of gasstoves, lamps, etc., or it can be used as an attachmentin connection with wicks for cigar lighters or lamps, or in connection with gas tips as for example the gas t1ps on miners acetylene lamps.

In theconstructionand arrangement here tofore used, the serrated disk or friction wheel is adapted only. for rotational movement, and a spring is provided for at all times pressing the pyrophoric material against the serrated edge of the wheel Owing to the spring'pressure the sharp teeth or serrations on the wheel frequently are so far embedded in the pyrophoric material that the wheel can. be turned only with effort and difficulty and with pain to the operator angle that when pressure is appliedio'n the wheel to force it toward the pyrophoricmaterial it will tend to roll with its trunnion shaft along. the slots in a direction away from the pyrophoric material, the angle however being such that downward pressure on the wheel will eventually predominate and the wheel will be pressed with sufli'cient;

frictional engagement against the pyrophoric material ,to produce the necessary sparking for ignition purposes. ,I provide an adjustable abutment for holding the Application filed Juneaaieei. sex-term. 478,822.

v specification of Letters Patent. Patgfited Fgb byr'ophorie material within range of; the

wheel when pressure isexerted thereon'gbut under lighter pressurethe wheel can be read-' 11y spun around, and when rotated with the finger it will strike the -pyrophoric material with considerable momentumiattheitime of its frictional engagement therewith tovpro duce the'sparks. 1 I On the accompanying drawings which clearly describe my invention, Y

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a hand lighter which can be used for general lighting purposes, Fig. 2 is'a verticaldiametral sectional view taken on a plane parallel with the friction'disk, f o x g Y Y 7 Fig. 3 is a sectional view on plane Fig. 1, 1 I Fig. 4 is a-front elevational View of. a. miners cap lamp showing the sparking attachment there'on, and r '1 Fig. 5 is a sectional view on plane 5-5, Fig. 4 of the lamp reflector and the spark ing attachment thereon. i

.The sparking device comprises the tube or barrel 10 which at its upper end is enlarged and bifurcated to provide the opposed wall sections 11 and 12 between which is posi: tionedthe serrated disk or friction wheel 13, the wheel being preferably ofsteel with. points or teeth formed inits cylindrical pie riphery. The wheel has-the central trunnion pin 1& vwhich extends into the enlarged :trun-' nion openings' or slots 15and 16 in the walls 11 and 12. JVhen the trunnion openingsare; in the formof slots, these slots are inclined at an angle with 'the'axisof the tube 10, the inclination being suchthat when the wheel is turned by engagement with its periphery, the trunnion pin will tend to roll up on. the lower walls'of the slots so that the wheel will partake ofa bodily movement as well as arotary moveinen't. I

The tube 10 hasthe external thread 17: at its lower end for receiving a cap 18 from which extends. the abutment rod 19 through the tube 10. The. rod or stem 19 serves as an, abutment for the cylinder or block 20' of pyrophoric or other spark producing material, the material being held by the stem 19 within range ofthe friction wheel when it is rotated, so that the wheel may exert frictional pressure thereon to produce the sparks. "By turning-the. cap 18 on the tube the stem 19 can be adjusted longitudinally and the adjustment is preferably kept such that the pyrophoric materialwill be held snflicient height to engage'theperiphery of the friction wheel to normally hold its trunnion pin at some point intermediate the ends of the slots. The wheel is rotated in the direction which will tend to roll the trunnion pin upwardly along the lower edges of the-slots, that is, in a direction bodily away from the pyrophoric material. The thumb or finger is applied to the roughened periphery of the friction wheel and the wheel is given one or more rapid rotations under pressure. The inclined slots will'tend to cause the wheel. to roll bodilyaway from the pyrophoric material but the pressure on the wheel to ward the pyrophoric material will eventir Cir ally predominate, and the wheel while being rapidly rotated will he suddenly brought down against the pyrophoric material and suflicient sparking will result but without sticking of the wheel points on the pyrophoric material. At the end of each. en-

' gagement of the thumb or finger with the wheel it will spin freely after release, and it isthen entirely loose from the pyrophoric material. ready for another pressure engagement therewith. This operation is entirely impossible where a spring is used to at all times firmly press the pyrophoric material against the wheel, for then the sharp points of the wheel become embedded in the material and the wheel can be rotated only with heavy pull and pressure and most times with considerable pain to the operator. With my improved arrangement the wheel is free and loose at all times and engages under pressure with the pyrophoric material only after it has acquired considerable momentum. To facilitate and ease the operation of the wheel the upper corners of the walls 11 and 12 are well rounded and the wallsat their tops are preferably parallel with the slots. There is therefore no chance for injury to the fingers.

In Figs. 41- and 5 I have shown the spark ing device somewhat modified to adapt it for application to the reflector of a miners cap lamp. The lamp shown has the usual body 21 on which is mounted the reflector 22 at the center of which is the gas outlet or tip 23 for gas generated within the lamp body.

The sparking attachment is substantially of the same construction as that shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3. The tube lO-is threaded its entire distance and is extended through the hole 24 in the reflector so that the walls 11 and 12 may engage at their base against the inner face of the reflector. A nut 25 engages the threaded tube and abuts against the outer face of the reflector, the attachment being thus securely held in place. The walls 11 and 12 are parallel with the radial plane of the tip 23 and the slots 15 and 16 extend in such direction that when the thumb or finger applied to the top of the wheel is drawn outwardly the wheel will tend to roll bodily toward the higher ends of the slots and. away from the pyrophoric material. However, under sufficient pressure the rotating wheel will eventually frictionally encounter the sparking material and the generated sparks will be'shot toward the gas outlet 23 to ignite the issuing gas.

The lighting attachment can also be so positioned with reference to the reflector edge that the lamp can be ignited by palming, that is, by applying the palm of the hand against the reflector edge and over the wheel, and drawing the hand-suddenly away and at the same time rotatingfthe wheel, after gas has accumulated in the pocket formed by the reflector and the hand. My improved lighter attachment is particularly adaptable for this method of ignitlon owinoto the freedom of movement of the frictioii wheel.

I thus produce a simple, practical and efficient sparking device or attachment. The springand all its disadvantages are eliminated. The friction wheel never sticks but can always be freely and efiiciently oper ated to produce good sparking. Byeliminating the spring and its incessant pressure against the spark wheel the wastage of pyrophoric material is eliminated, there beingjust suliicient engagement between the spark wheel and the pyrophoric material to pro= duce just enough sparks for ignition purposes. I do not desire to be limited to the precise construction and arrangement shown and described as changes and modilications can be made which will come within the scope of the invention.-

I claim as follows:

1. In a lighting device ofthe classdcscribed, the combination of a friction'disk rotatable on its axis, sparking material be-v low said disk, means forholdingsaidspark ing material within range of said disk when rotated, and means tending to cause said disk when rotated to be raised from said sparking material to thereby decrease the friction of engagement between said disk and material.

2. In a lighting device of the class described, the combination of a rotatable friction disk, sparking material, means for bold ing said sparking material in fixed position below said disk, said disk normally engaging said material, and means tending to raise said disk from said material when said disk is rotated against said material to thereby decrease the friction and prevent sticking of the disk.

3. In a lighting device of the class described, the combination of a supporting frame having opposed walls, a friction disk between. said walls, a trunnion pin for said for receiving said pin, and means for sup-' porting sparking materialon said framein range of said disk, said inclined slots tending to cause said disk to move 'bodily away from said sparking material when rotational pressure is applied to the disk.

4. In a lighting device of the class described, the combination of a supporting frame having opposed walls, a friction disk between said walls, spark producing material held in said frame below said disk, a trunnion pin for said disk, bearing surfaces on said walls for said pin inclined in a direction tending to cause said disk to be raised away fromsaid material when saiddisk is rotated, whereby said disk may be released,

from said material before it is brought into spark producing engagement therewith.

5. In a lighting, device ofthe class described, the combination of a supporting frame, said frame having a bore, a non-v yielding abutment in said bore, spark producing material seated on said abutment, opposed walls on said frame above said material, a friction disk between said walls and above said material, and a trunnion pin for said disk, said walls having upwardly inclined slots for receiving said pin, said disk projecting beyond said walls to be engaged and rotated "by the hand, said disk engaging with said material whenits trunnion pinv is away from the upper end of the slots, said slots causing the disk to be raised from the material when it is moved toward the upper end of the slots.

6. In a lighting device scribed, the combination of a supporting frame, opposed walls on said frame, spark producing material within said frame, means for rigidly supporting said material at the base of said Walls, a combined thumb wheel of the class de-- and friction, disk between said walls, a trim nion pin for said disk, said Walls. having diagonally inclined slots for receiving the ends of said pin, said pin tending to move downsaid-slot to permit the wheel'to en-' gage with the spark producing material, and said slots permitting said wheel to be moved bodily away] from said material'when it is rotated.

In a lighting device of the class ae scribed, the combination of a frame, a sparking element seated in said frame, a combined thumb wheel and friction disk in said frame above said sparking element, and diago nally inclinedpivot SlOtS'fOI said wheel in said frame for'permitting'said wheel to be moved bodily toward or away from said sparking element when the wheel is rotated.

8. In a lighting device of the class described, the combination of a supporting frame, opposed walls on said frame, a rigid abutment onsaid frame below said walls, spark producing material seated on said abutment, a friction wheel between said walls, a trunnion pin for said wheel, diagonally extending bearing surfaces on said walls I for said pin, said 'pin moving down said surfaces when said wheeliis pressed toward said spark producing material to permit the wheel to frictionally engage with the spark,-

ing material and to cause sparks when it is rotated, said'pin tending when rotation of the wheel is resisted by said materialto roll upalong said surfaces to decrease thefric tional engagement of the wheel with the material to thereby prevent sticking of the wheel. e a In witness whereof, I-hereunto subscribe m name this 13th day of June,A. D., 1921 7 CHARLES JQ scHMmT; 

